Store furniture



A ril 16, 1935. s. W.'SNELLING STORE FURNITURE Filed Aug. '7, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 fiaam fl 9 0 9 9 DD M% A; o o o o Lo 0 do 0 0 0 *0 2 9 0 9 T 0 e0 0 9 T 3 59 094 'TTORNEY INVENTOR. 2'7 45 656116 W BY r) April 16, 1935.

S. W. SNELLING STORE FURNITURE INVENTOR.

BY v

3A 14TTORNEY April 16, 1935. 5, w, SNELUNG 1,997,952

STORE FURNITURE Filed Aug. 7, 1933 35heets-Sheet 3 Z 7 INVENTOR.

elene W BY I 1 v 'ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 16, 1935 UNITED. STATES PATENT wOFFlC-E STORE FURNITURE Selene Woodside Snelling, Greenville, S. 0.

Application August 7, 1933, Serial No. 684,099

3 Claims. (o1. 20-11;)

My invention relates generally'to improvevments in store furniture and the like, and has particular reference to a novel merchandising booth construction which is especially suitable for farm produce markets, mercantile expositions and the like.

Generally'speaking the invention contemplates the provision of a novel merchandising booth I construction for markets and the like which furnishes improved individual booths for Vendors,

either singly or in connected series,the nature of the construction being such as to provide for the attractive display of merchandise within convenient reach of the vendor, but beyond reach of customers so that it will not become shopworn as the result of repeated handling.

The invention also aims to provide a merchandising booth construction which may enable the vendor to wait upon the trade while seated, thus making it especially desirable for farm womens markets.

Further and more specific'objects of the invention are to provide, in a merchandising booth construction,-(1) a novel combined counter and door construction; (2) a novel easily operated closure means for theopen booth front that will be out of the way when not in use, said closure having locking means preferably cooperating with the combined counter and door; and (3) novel ventilating means for the booth'.'

The invention also resides in the various novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of the various'parts to be hereinafter described and claimed,reference being had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate what now appears to be a preferred construction.

It should be understood that the specific herein-disclosed embodiment of the invention is merely illustrative; and that various changes and modifications may be made therein within ing an interior showing of one of the booths and:

illustrating its closure in operative position for holding the combined counter and door closed;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 3 for illustrating, mainly, the closure mounting and guide means; i V I Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the'line 55 of Figure 3; V

Figure 6 is a perspective of a single boothproviding unit;

Referring specifically to the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a building or room I having the front entrance door 8 opening into the lobby 9. At one side of the entrance 8 is the desk In for the manager of the market or merchandising room, While at the other side of the entrance 8 is a space for chairs II for the customers.

Still referring to Figure 1 it will be noted that along each side wall is a multiple booth-providing structure indicated diagrammatically as at I2. At the rear of the building or room is shown a booth structure I3 providing .a refrigerator counter means I3a. This latter type of booth structure differs from those provided by. members I 2 in that the counter I3a of each of the booths provided by I3 is fixed anddoes not swing as is the case-with the counters of the booths first referred to.

Referred. to the booth-providing unit I2, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5,-it will be noted that the same provides endwalls I 4 which are preferably paneled as indicated at I la, Mb, in Figure 2 and have the front and rear vertical stiles or posts I40, Md, respectively. I I

Elongated tie strips or rails I5 (see Figure 3) connect the end walls I4, and are also connected to the intermediate vertical stiles or posts I811, carrying the partitions that divide the structure I2 transversely into a plurality of booths, as willbe understood from an inspection of Figures 1 and 2.

Figures 2 and 3 disclose the narrow rearwardly disposed top wall I6 of the unit/I2 having the ventilation opening Ilia which is preferably screened as at I6b,there beingthe marginal strips I50 for holding the screen l6b' in place.

Below the top wall I6 at the front thereof there is preferably provided the fascia board ltd, which may be sectional or continuous, and pro:

vides a space for both numbers, or other indicia as'indicated. Top I6 may also have the mould- The panel-like partitions H and end walls M are substantially similar. Each has the rearwardly and upwardly curved frontal rails 22 and 23, the bottom rails 25, intermediate rails 24, the short top rails x, y,and the partition stiles l8rc, 25 correspond to end wall stiles Mo, Md.

The rear partition stiles i851: carry, on each side thereof, strips 18 having grooves l8a while the corresponding end wall stiles Hie have similar strips l8 on the inner side only, all asshown in Figure 5. Also, it is evident from Figure 2, that both sides of curvedpartition rail 22 are grooved, whereas only one side of the corresponding rail 22 of end wall M is grooved for reception of the ends of closure members 2!.

The closure 2! for the respective booths are preferably of the flexibly connected slat type generally similar to the well known roll top desk closure,-although other types may be used. Since the illustrated closure structureis the same in all booths a description of one will suffice for all.

As illustrated in Figure 2 and indicated in Figure 3, thevertical rear grooves lSa of opposite booth walls are adapted to receive the sides of the closure member 2! when the same is not in use. The flexible closure 21 in each instance is supported upon rotatably mounted disks Ell secured adjacent opposite side walls of each booth and adjacent the top wall it.

Figure 4 best illustrates the mounting of the rotatable disks 2% and'disclose's the same journalled upon pins carried by bearings 19. In the case of. the end walls M a pin 29a secures bearing Hi to the end wall, but in the case of the partition structures I! an elongated pin lBr secures bearings l9. against both sides of the partition between adjacent booths. In each instance nuts i912 serve to retain the diskson the bearing pins.

Figure 3 illustrates that the front wall portion of. groove iBa inrnembe'rs it terminates adjacent the periphery of disk 20, as indicated at 282;, and.

thisview also-suggests that the rear, wall of groove it may be curved forwardly around and spaced from the periphery of the adjacent disk 25) to provide, with the disk 20, a receiving groove i8 3 for the flexible cover 2 l,-as shown. This groove I80 communicates with grooves 22a in the rearwardly and upwardly curved frontal end wall v and partition rails 22 as indicated in Figure 3.

It should be understood that other suitable groove-providing means can be employed for guiding closure 2! about the disks 2%.

The front of each booth is closed by means of I a gate 27 which is hinged as at 21a to one of the front stiles or posts 25 and carries the horizontal counter 28 having the braces or supports 28a, which are illustrated in Figures 3 and 5.

Figure 5 alsorillustrates the counter as providing the lock-keeper 29 which is adaptedto receive the. bolt of the lock 30 which, as illustrated in Figure 2, is carried by the flexible closure 2 l. In this connection it will also be observed from Figure 2 that the lower rail of closure 2! has the handles 2 a'for convenient manipulation of same.

The rear end of the closure 2! is preferably Weighted, as indicated at Zlb to facilitate its movement; and there maybe cooperating stops 2 icon the rear end of the closure 2i and on the superjacent inwardly curved portion of member E8 above the groove 18a, as illustrated in Figure 3.

support 2122 at the end remote from the hinge Zia so as to support the Weight of the counter and whatever may be upon the counter. Also, as indicated in Figure 2, the gate may have the latch 3|, although it is particularly noted that the engagement of lock 30 with lock-keeper 29 when the closure or roll-top 2i is down will serve to keep the gate closed. This is a very important feature of the invention. The latch Si is adapted to keep the gate. closed while thev boothisbeing used and the roll-top is up, as indicated in Figure 2.

Beneath the counter 28 is the till 32 pivoted to swing outwardly, as indicated at 32a, and having the guide or support 32b which is best illustrated in Figure 5.

As suggested in Figure 3, each booth wall It, or i! will have the vertical stile or post 33 connecting rails 24, 23,-said post or stile 33 being parallel with the adjacentrear posts or stile 18:0 a

and Ma.

Figures 2, 3 and 6 illustrate the shelves and supporting means therefor-atthe rear of the respective booths. In carrying out this phase of the invention, I provide metal strips 34 secured in,

one instance to the partition stile Mr and in another instance to the last-mentioned vertical stile or member 33 as indicated at 34?) in Figure 3. metal. strips have suitable'holes for the removable shelf supporting elements 36,--the holes being designed as at 34c.

Angle iron brackets 36a fixedly support and connect the lower shelf to the frame,the upper shelves being removably carried by the strip-carried fasteners 38.

Figure 6 shows a single booth unit whose side walls l4 provide the front and rear grooves 2201., I30. for the roll top or flexible closure 2!. Closure supporting disks 20?, corresponding to disks 29 of Figure 2, are there as indicated. The shelves 35 are supported in the same fashion as in Figure 3. The combination counter and gate is illustrated at 27', 28,and a caster support 2'51) is shown for the gate. Except for the fact that it is a single unit instead of a multiple booth-providing structure, the arrangement is the same as in Figure 2. One of the pivots for one of the disks is shown at l 9.

Swivel stools such as 5i may be put inside the respective booths so thatthe vendor can re main comfortably seated before the counter 28 or 28' and still reach the merchandise on the shelves. The doors or gates, such as 21, have openings 52 or 52' for ventilation, the circulation of air being upwardly through the'screened openings 16a.

or 58a, in the topwall IE or I6. Referring to Figure 3 it will be seen that when the flexible closure 2! is in its operative positionand locked to the counter 28, the weighted rear end 2 la will be stopped just forwardly. of the rear edge of the screenedopening [6a in the top I 6. Thus a circulation of air through the ventilating opening 52 of the door 27 will circulate upwardly past the shelves to reach the outlet opening 16a. Thus merchandise upon the shelves will be subjected to a cooling "and ventilating draft when the booth is closed. Also bead moulding 54 maybe disposed about the front and side margins of the top It.

From what has been said it will be understood that a very efficient booth structure has been provided. The merchandise may be conveniently and attractively displayed on the shelves 35, or 35 in full view of the customers, but beyond their reach so that the produce will not be handled and become shopworn. Also when the closures ill) 2| or 2i are pulled down and locked as at 29 or 29 to the counter 28, or 2B, the gate is locked and the particular booth is shut up. The back of the booth structure is open and being against,

the wall will not afford a means of entry for unauthorized persons. It is understood, of course, that the booth structure may besuitably fixed to the fioor. Even when closed a particular booth will be ventilated by air flowing in through gate openings 52 underthe gate 2?, and from the rear, below the lower end of the roll-top closure member 2! upwardly through the screened openings Eta in the top.

Having thusdescribed my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. A merchandising booth comprising in combination a frame providing side and top walls, the top wall being very narrow as compared to the side walls and the latter inclining forwardly and downwardly from'the top wall, shelving interposed between said side walls adjacent the rear of the frame and below'said top wall, said side 'walls having opposed guideways adjacent their upper ends and extending forwardly from said top wall, said side walls also providing opposed vertical guideways adjacent the rear of said frame, a flexible closure member adapted to assume a position in said first mentioned guideways for closing the front of the booth and adapted to assume a position in said second mentioned guideways for substantially closing the rear of said booth, and rotatable supporting means for said flexible closure interposed between said first and second mentioned guideways whereby to establish communication between the same.

2. A merchandising booth comprising in combination a frame providing side and top walls, the top wall being very narrow as comparedto the side walls and the latter inclining forwardly and downwardly from the top wall, shelving interposed between said side walls adjacent the rear of the frame and below said top wall, said side wall having opposed guideways adjacent their upper ends and extending forwardly from said top wall, said side walls also providing opposed vertical guideways adjacent the rear of said 7 frame, a flexible closure member adapted to assume a position in said first mentioned guideways for closing the front of the booth and adapted to assume a position in said second mentioned guideways for substantially closing the rear of said booth, rotatable supporting means for said flexible closure interposed between said first and second mentioned guideways whereby to establish communication between the same, there being a ventilation opening in said top wall, a swingable counter adapted to close the lower front portion of said booth and carried by one of said side walls, said counter providing a stop for limiting forward movement of said flexible closure, and the length of said flexible closure being downwardly from the top wall, shelving interfor closing the front of the booth and adapted to assume a position in said second mentioned guideways for substantially closing the rear. of said booth, rotatable supporting means for said flexible closure interposed between said first and second mentioned guideways whereby to estab lish communication between the same, there be ing a ventilation opening in said top wall, a swingable counter adapted to close the lower front portion of said booth and carried by one of said side walls, said counter providing a stop for limiting forward movement of the flexible closure and the length of said flexible closure being such as to expose said top opening when such closure is engaged with said counter, said counter having ventilating means, and cooperating locking means carried by said counter and flexible closure whereby they may be locked shut.

SELENE WOODSIDE SNELLING. 

